Startup Stories – Welcome To The Arena

When I quit my job about a year ago to go traveling, I thought finding work when I got back again would be easy money. Especially for the new kind of employer I wanted to work for: startups.

The job market spat in my face, kicked me in the shin, and uppercutted me all at once.

I stopped counting how many applications I sent in at some point. But getting rejected builds resilience (after the crying subsides). After a while you get used to it. I thought this would be my destiny from now on.

Until this one fateful day.

The first thing I did every morning was scouring the job boards. Then I saw it: a job as a "Founder's Associate" in one of my favorite industries: energy, or rather cleantech.

Five minutes later, my old boss texted me the link of the job posting I just applied to. He was interested in becoming a customer!

"Enido" provides solar panel solutions for single-family homeowners in Switzerland.

I got invited to an online-interview and then quickly to a second interview in person.

Then waiting hell began.

I really wanted this job, but they told me it would take about a week until they made their decision.

One morning, three days after the second interview, my phone rang.

It was them.

One of the co-founders called me. After all the pleasantries were exchanged, there was a moment of silence.
I could hear the pounding of my heart – it felt like someone banging on a drum on the inside of my ears. Jaw clenched, an enormous heat from all the blood shooting through my body.

Then she spoke some of the best words I heard in months:
"Tommy, you got the job."

I almost jumped through the phone for joy. Finally I would get the chance to learn entrepreneurship in one of the most exciting industries!
But still, I only had corporate experience. Startups are a whole different beast (or unicorn, hopefully) entirely. Many startup entrepreneurs describe it as stepping into the arena. I wanted to become one of those gladiators.

Yet there are also negatives of joining a startup. Bad processes, low pay, long hours – and the demon of all startups: founders who are more in love with being a founder than their company.
Luckily for me, that's not the case with enido. On the contrary: I felt welcome from the first moment on. The people there are great. Every single one has a single-minded mission: making the company succeed while having fun.

I'm so excited, because this is only the beginning! It won't always be easy. It won't always be fun. But it sure as heck won't be boring.